.png)
Lie #2 - “We don’t have time to add another tool.”
The Belief
You’ve probably heard this before — or maybe even said it yourself:
“We’re already stretched thin. We just don’t have time to add another tool.”
It’s a totally fair concern. Between managing events, renewals, volunteers, and board meetings, who has the bandwidth to take on another platform? The assumption is that implementing something new will be a huge lift — weeks of setup, more training, and another password to remember — all for minimal payoff.
But here’s the truth: the real time drain isn’t adding a tool. It’s working around disengaged members with tools that aren’t built for engagement.
Why This Belief Is So Common
Most association teams are small but mighty — doing a lot with limited time and staff. Every new system or integration feels like it could throw off an already delicate balance.
Plus, past experiences don’t help. Many platforms promise “easy onboarding” but end up needing hours of manual setup, custom integrations, or endless email templates. So it’s no wonder that new tech feels like one more task instead of a time-saver.
The result? Teams stay stuck using the same tools — even when those tools aren’t helping members connect, engage, or respond.
Why It Doesn’t Work Anymore
Staying “efficient” by avoiding new tools might feel safe, but it’s actually costing you time and engagement.
Think about the hours spent chasing renewals manually, sending follow-up emails that go unread, or trying to guess what members want without any real feedback. That’s not efficiency — it’s exhaustion.
In fact, associations that rely only on static email tools often spend 30–40% more time managing campaigns that underperform. Meanwhile, engagement keeps slipping.
How to Think Differently
Instead of asking, “Do we have time to add another tool?” try asking, “Do we have time to keep doing things the hard way?”
Modern engagement tools aren’t about replacing your AMS or email platform — they’re about making them more effective.
When you can launch campaigns in minutes, collect member feedback automatically, and trigger personalized follow-ups, your team gets time back, not more work.
How PropFuel Helps
PropFuel makes it simple to engage members without adding complexity.
You can launch conversational campaigns in minutes — not weeks — and start seeing responses right away.
No heavy setup. No long learning curve. Just real conversations that drive renewals, event registrations, and satisfaction.
👉 Download the full guide: “10 Lies Associations Tell Themselves About Member Engagement”
Dave Will
While working for SAP, a multi-billion dollar software company, nearly 20 years ago, Dave Will was advised to "Walk faster and smile less, because perception is reality." Dave took this feedback to heart and started a business based on the antithesis of this advice. Fourteen years later, Dave successfully sold Peach New Media, a Learning Management System for associations, which is now part of Community Brands.
Since then, Dave and his leadership team from Peach built an engagement platform called PropFuel, the first Conversational Engagement platform designed specifically for member based organizations to improve member engagement using the Ask, Capture, Act methodology.
Dave lives on the South Shore of Massachusetts with his 3 boys, 3 boy dogs and his formidable wife, Nicole. He's an endurance runner and pretends to work from his boat in Buzzards Bay, MA as much as possible all summer long.